Voters’ roll from Bubi-Umguza missing in election petition case

By Tererai Karimakwenda
16 September 2005

On Wednesday lawyers and assistants who are verifying documents in the presidential election challenge case discovered that the voters’ roll used in the Bubi-Umguza constituency is missing.

For over a month now lawyers for the MDC and for ZANU-PF have been verifying materials used in the 2002 presidential election. The opposition is challenging the results of that election, claiming there were many irregularities. Officials from Bubi-Umguza say that their boxes now have a computer label, even though they never used computers when they packed them. They suspect that someone may have tampered with them.

Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa has been following events at the high court where verification is taking place. He says out of the 12 boxes brought in from Bubi in Matabeleland, one had documents from Nkayi, and the other 11 have no voters roll at all.

Lawyers decided to continue verification by moving along to the Guruve area. But MDC officials plan court applications compelling the registrar general to explain where the missing papers are.